He is a journalist, civil engineer and professor at the Universidad Nacional del Sud in subjects related to architectural heritage and urban planning. He has published articles in the magazines Propiedad, Todo es Historia, Obras & Protagonistas and Summa +. He participates in several radio micros referring to the history of Bahía Blanca. On two occasions he received first mention from ADEPA in the Culture and History category.
84 years ago, in May 1940, the La Acción Insurance Company, a company with local capital, acquired the building on Alsina and San Martín, built in 1911 by La Previsora, another insurer.
Designed by architect Julio de Molina y Vedia and built by Antonio Gerardi, the work burst into the urban landscape as an exponent of art nouveau, a style of architecture that sought to break with styles inspired by the past, with designs defined by rectilinear forms. , bold colors, ceramics on the facades and different geometric patterns.
The building in its original style, 1911
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{{msg}} {{msg}}Presenting that proposal in our city, in the first decade of the century, was truly something shocking. “This splendid building will be one of the most outstanding in the city for a long time,” said this newspaper when learning about the project.
In 1936 the building passed into the hands of the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires, an entity that decided to intervene on the façade, mentioning that “the old aesthetics will be displaced by the energetic line of the new architecture.” Thus, it was stripped of all ornamentation, mosaics and moldings, even removing the roses, nymphs and lions that adorned it.
“Bahía Blanca adapts to progress and this is a reason for pride: a beautiful building in its coldness, transforming the physiognomy of the place,” it was said.
The truth is that a work of art that would be wonderful to appreciate today was lost to give rise to a hybrid. In the 1970s, architect Enrique Cabré Moré spoke of “profane hands” that caused a loss that damaged “the cultural tradition of the city.”
In May 1940 the property was acquired by La Acción, which occupied some of its premises for several decades. More than a century later, the property is still in use, in good condition and, inside, many details reflect its valuable original style.
The interior and traces of art nouveau
